The ongoing conflict in Sudan, particularly in the Darfur region, has captured the world’s attention due to its severe humanitarian consequences. A recent UN investigation has further illuminated the gravity of the situation, declaring the actions of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as genocidal. The report illustrates not just the scale of violence but also emphasizes the urgent need for international response and intervention to protect civilians and restore peace in the region.
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A recent United Nations investigation has found that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan committed genocide in the city of el-Fasher, characterized by mass killings, gang rapes, and deliberate starvation as part of a systematic policy against civilians. Released on July 9, 2026, the UN Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan’s report builds upon previous findings from February, which had already identified signs of genocidal actions by the RSF during its siege of the capital of North Darfur state.
The mission’s chairman cautioned that the revelations carry urgent implications for the city of el-Obeid, another city now surrounded by RSF forces, where the UN human rights chief has warned of an impending “catastrophe.” Eyewitness accounts from survivors in el-Fasher detailed harrowing experiences, including instances of sexual violence occurring in the presence of deceased civilians, including family members. The report explicitly stated that the RSF, along with its allies, engaged in war crimes such as starvation by maintaining a protracted siege on the city, obstructing humanitarian aid, and attacking food production systems.
The RSF has consistently denied allegations of human rights abuses throughout their three-year conflict with the Sudanese military, claiming that such reports are fabrications by their adversaries. In a related warning, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk declared last week that the situation in el-Obeid is deteriorating, documenting patterns of summary executions, abductions, torture, and sexual violence in the surrounding region.
International attention, traditionally focused on Khartoum and Darfur, is increasingly shifting towards el-Obeid as conflict escalates in the Kordofan region. Members of the UN Human Rights Council condemned the ongoing violence earlier this week and initiated an urgent inquiry into the reported abuses. The UK and other nations have raised alarm over the potential for large-scale atrocities, as RSF forces gather near el-Obeid, which is currently host to approximately half a million people, including over 83,000 internally displaced individuals.
In its February report, the fact-finding mission had already recognized that the mass killings targeting non-Arab communities during the RSF’s takeover of el-Fasher exhibited hallmarks of genocide. The latest findings offer further evidence that the RSF’s widespread, systematic actions—including large-scale killings, mass rapes, and enforced starvation—constitute an intentional policy of violence against civilians. Mohamed Chande Othman, the chairman of the mission, stated that the observed patterns, including encirclement tactics, assaults on civilian infrastructure, and severe restrictions on humanitarian access, serve as foreboding indicators. He urged the international community to learn from these findings and to act decisively to prevent a worsening humanitarian catastrophe.
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